The Saudi stock market recorded an all-time high when the Tadawul All Share Index (TASI) closed on April 7 at 11,694.84 points, a rise of 11.49 percent over the week before. The total value of shares exchanged amounted to over SR83 billion [U.S.$22 billion], up $1 billion from last week.

The Council of Ministers recently announced that all citizens of the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) would be treated equally in the purchase and exchange of shares of the companies listed on the Saudi stock exchange. Until now, investment in the stock market was for Saudis only.